Their loyalty and love of City is beyond doubt but now, as Richard Edghill becomes the latest player to find himself on the dark side of the blue moon, it is that devotion to the cause and demand for success that has led to many supporters turning on their captain.

Edghill, who was frequently booed during the first half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Coventry after scoring an own goal, has been targeted by critical City fans for many months but it reached its nadir at the weekend.

As the 25-year-old trudged off the Maine Road pitch to a cacophony of jeers, 200 miles away Ged Brannan's mind wandered back to the time that he was driven out of the club by the same supporters who are now making Edghill's footballing life a misery.

Brannan had a spell on loan with Norwich before ending his unhappy 19-month stay at City by moving to Motherwell in October 1998. A £750,000 signing by Frank Clark, the midfielder was one of the players who was intended to trigger City's rapid return to the Premiership but instead was caught in the Maine Road maelstrom that claimed so many victims.

He said: 'They singled out me, Kit Symons and Alan Kernaghan, and in the end the manager didn't play us because we were getting so much stick.

'You only have to look at how many players have left Manchester City and have done well away from there to realise how the fans can affect you, and I think we got unfair criticism from them.

'It drains your confidence and a simple five-yard ball becomes a really difficult ball, and you start hiding. I take my hat off to the City fans for being so loyal but they don't do the cause any good when they target play-ers for stick.

'I went to Norwich because I wanted to get away and enjoy my football again. When I was at City it used to be a relief to play away from Maine Road.'

What has made the treat-ment meted out to Edghill so unpalatable is the loyalty he has shown to the club. City's longest- serving player, he has been with them for more than a dozen years and given them sterling service since making his Premiership debut as a 17-year-old in 1993.

Just as City's supporters cried after their two relegations in three years, Edghill was equally affected by their failings, and as a fan of the club as a boy their successive promotions gave him an extra thrill.

One would have hoped for more patience to be shown to their players as they adjust to top-flight life again, but for some City followers it seems even the slightest mis-take is unacceptable.

Brannan added: 'Joe Royle has done a brilliant job. To go up twice in two years is superb. Richard Edghill has been one of the main reasons they've done so well and I hope fans realise that booing doesn't help him.'